I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle safety restraints, and more specifically to restraints used by children seated in vehicles to properly route the shoulder strap across the child's chest.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
All automobiles currently manufactured for use in the United States include safety restraints comprised of seat belts to be used by every passenger in the car. These safety restraints typically include a lap belt, and a shoulder strap which is adapted to extend diagonally across the chest of the passenger. The shoulder strap is adapted to extend at a predetermined angle from the buckle, across the chest of the passenger and over the opposite arm, and is secured to an upper portion of the vehicle interior. Unfortunately, all automobile manufacturers design the safety restraints to conform to the anatomy of an adult passenger. Consequently, when a child or a smaller passenger is seated in the vehicle, the extension of the shoulder strap can extend across the passenger in an uncomfortable, ineffective, or dangerous position. Specifically, children often will simply put the shoulder belt behind them, thus rendering the shoulder strap ineffective and unavailable should the automobile crash. Only the lap belt is extended across the lap of the child, which may help reduce injury to the child, but which will not restrain the upper portion of the child from projecting forwardly against a forward seat or the dash of the car. Thus, it can be very dangerous for the child to render the shoulder strap ineffective.
In other instances, the child will simply let the shoulder strap extend across the child's chest and over the opposite shoulder. In this arrangement, the shoulder strap extends closely below the neck of the child. This position is also dangerous for in the event of a subsequent crash, the shoulder strap will restrain the child at the neck from thrusting forward. This is a dangerous point of the child's body to be restricting forward movement. It can cause serious damage to the back, cause the throat to collapse, and possibly even choke the child during the crash due to collapsed windpipes.
Several companies provide various child seat restraining devices, including portable seats which are specifically designed for children. There are many variations of child seats available in the market. However, older children do not always desire to use these seats and wish to sit on a seat like the other passengers using the standard seat belt. This is dangerous as discussed. Further, child seats are expensive, and they are sometimes difficult, time consuming and cumbersome to install or move from one vehicle to the next. Thus, there is a recognized need to provide an inexpensive child safety restraint which is adaptable to the existing seat belt arrangement in automobiles, and which can more properly protect the child should the automobile crash.
The brochure produced by the Blue Ridge/The Item Company advertising the Safe Fit.TM. shoulder belt adjuster for children addresses the problem that shoulder belts are not adapted to children. However, this devices suffers in that the device provides no extra support to the child. The shoulder strap still concentrates force across a child's abdomen during vehicle impact. Further, the belt is not restrained within the sleeve in a proper arrangement, but rather, is constrained only and may be a loose fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,588 to Huspen teaches a child safety restraint. While this device addresses the problem of providing a safety device for a child too large for a baby seat, yet too small for a conventional seat belt/shoulder strap combination, the device requires several parts. Specifically, a stress plate, a pair of shoulder straps, and a crotch strap. It also requires a moderate amount of installation time when adapted to a child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,915 to Perry teaches a child restraint for use with a seat belt in an automobile. This is invention comprises a pillow-like elongated cushion which attaches only to a seat lap belt. It is not meant to be used in connection with a shoulder strap. Thus, there is no teaching of adapting a shoulder strap about a child.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,404 to Otaegui-Ugarte teaches a protector for a vehicle occupant. This invention comprises a protective breast plate having an air compartment, wherein the breast plate is rigidly attached to the straps of a vehicle seat belt. Thus, the equipment would need to be provided as standard equipment by the automobile manufacturer. Breast plate 1 is not removable from the straps, nor is there any teaching of redirecting the direction of the diagonal strap such that the device would be adaptable to a child.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,965 to Brown teaches a vehicle seat belt retainer for a child. This device teaches a strap adapted to circumscribe the child's lower buttock, and which is releasably securable to the lap belt of the conventional vehicle seat belt. There is no teaching of redirecting the shoulder strap to more properly adapt to the size of a child.